Frequently Asked Security Questions
FAQs
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How long will it take the armed reaction vehicle to respond?
At Blue Security we constantly strive to improve our reaction times and aim to respond within 5 minutes. As a guide, however, a reaction time of up to 15 minutes is regarded as acceptable by the South African Intruder Detection Services Association (SAIDSA), of which Blue Security is a corporate member.
I have been told that the best way to test your reaction time is to press my panic button - is this true?
We strongly discourage this practice. We consider a panic signal to be the highest priority and as such, should only ever be activated in an emergency. One of the biggest problems facing the Armed Response industry is false alarms. In fact, the majority of call outs we attend to are false alarms. Unfortunately, this has a great impact on our ability to attend to real emergencies.
I see reaction cars parked on the side of the road - why do they not patrol all of the time?
While we do encourage our officers to patrol, it is not physically practical for a Response Officer to drive continuously for the full 12 hour duration of their shift. They do need to take a break occasionally and when doing so, they are required to stand-down at a central location from which they can respond.
Does the Reaction Officer have powers of arrest?
The Response Officers have the same legal rights as an ordinary citizen. They are, however, well versed in the Criminal Procedure Act and know when and where they can exercise their rights.
What is the cost of the escort service?
There is no charge for the occasional escort service.
Will the Reaction Officer escort me into my property if I am nervous?
Yes. Blue Security clients all enjoy the benefits of an armed escort service. A Response Officer will meet you at your gate and ensure that you are safe. We do, however, request that you give us sufficient notice of the request (at least half an hour) and understand that alarm activations will always take priority.
I have automated gates - how will the Reaction Officer get into my property?
Blue Security uses a unique “Gate Receiver” system that allows us access to your property in the event of an emergency. If your sales representative has not offered this system to you please contact our Customer Care Centre on 031 717 5000.
Can Blue Security guarantee its reaction time?
Given that there are a number of variables at play, we believe that it would be irresponsible to offer such a guarantee. What we can, however, guarantee is that the entire process is governed by our internationally recognised ISO 9001:2000 quality control system.
My code didn’t work - what should I do?
Take a deep breath and try your ‘User Code’ again. If this doesn’t work or you continue to have this problem, it could be that one or more of your keypad buttons are damaged from repeated use. The solution would be to replace the keypad and change the ‘User Code’ to avoid using the same digits repeatedly.
What does it mean when my keypad is not “READY”?
This is the keypad’s way of telling you that there is a condition present affecting one or more of the security devices and the system is not ready to be turned on. It will require that you correct the condition before the keypad will allow you to arm or turn on the system. Common devices to check are the door/window contacts, when the window or door is still open. A motion detector may be sensing some form of movement.
How do I “BYPASS” a zone?
On most systems you can simply enter your User Code then press the bypass button, followed by the zone number. This is useful if you want to leave a window or door open, or temporarily exclude a zone from being armed. This will reset when the system is disarmed and must be re-entered each time you want to bypass a zone. Consult your user manual for specifics.
I cannot arm my alarm system because I cannot get a zone to close. What should I do?
First - check that all of the doors and windows are closed and that no one is moving in front of a motion detector. If everything is in order and the zone remains open, it could be a faulty detector or a door or window contact. You can still arm the system but you will have to bypass that problem zone. Notify BLUE Technical Services at your earliest convenience to discuss the problem or schedule a service visit.
What if my telephone line has been cut?
If your telephone line has been cut by an intruder, or if a storm or natural disaster has disabled communications, your security system is still internally operational. The alarm will sound when sensors are triggered. However, emergency signals will not be transmitted to the Control Room, so the armed reaction team, police and fire authorities will not be notified by the controller. To ensure the integrity of your system radio, backup can be added to provide an alternate path to the Control Room. Call BLUE to learn about this type of signal transmission.
What should I do if my system needs service?
Call a BLUE Customer Care Representative and they will arrange to have your system serviced if the problem cannot be solved over the telephone.
What should I do if I accidently set off my alarm?
You can cancel the audible alarm by entering your user code properly. This should clear your system and switch it to “READY” mode. The Control Room may still make a courtesy call to you, but not dispatch Armed Reaction if a “CANCEL” signal is received.
Will ADSL affect my alarm service?
It may. Normal alarm communications utilises your regular phone line, with the DSL on the line, line seizure and communications may not work properly. If you are unsure, please call the Control Room and test your system. If you are having a problem, call BLUE Technical Services at 031 717 5000.
Can I cancel an alarm signal if I have pressed an emergency button on my keypad?
If you have pressed any of these alarm buttons, you will not be able to cancel the alarm signal. Wait for the Control Room to call you and explain that it was an error. They will request your challenge code and cancel the armed response vehicle.
How do I power down my alarm system?
An alarm system should only be powered down as a last resort to reset the system or if major renovations are being done. To power down the system, the transformer must be located and unplugged. Once the transformer is unplugged you must also remove the battery connection. Both terminals on the battery should be unplugged to ensure the alarm system will shut down. Always contact BLUE before powering down the system as a tamper alarm will be sent to the Control Room.
How does an alarm report to the Control Room?
A basic alarm system communicates over your regular telephone line. When the alarm activates, it seizes (takes priority over) your handsets and makes a call to the Control Room base station, which answers the call and decodes the message from your alarm panel. The decoded signal is sent to the Control Room operator’s computer and placed on “stack” according to priority (panic & duress signals are high priority and handled before low battery signals) and then handled as per our ISO certified Standard Operating Procedures.
How long does it take my alarm system to contact the Control Room?
This depends on which zone was activated. Certain zones are programmed to have a time delay in order to give the user sufficient time to disarm the system in order to prevent a false alarm. In such a case, it depends on how much time was programmed into the system when it was originally installed, but can range from a few seconds up to a few minutes. Most zones will be set to “instant”, in which case it takes only seconds for the alarm to report to the control room.
What if I accidentally set my alarm off?
Simply enter your four-digit user code to turn off the siren. The Control Room will call shortly. Give them your password / challenge code and tell them you accidentally tripped your alarm.
What happens if I cannot be reached in case of an alarm?
At the time of the alarm installation or system take-over you provided us with an Emergency Contact list of two or more individuals (Keyholders) that will be contacted in case you cannot be reached.
My phone goes dead at the same time every day. Could the alarm system be causing this?
Yes. Alarm systems are programmed to communicate with the Control Room at the same time every day. This is to test your communications to the Control Room. If the time of day of the signal is inconvenient, BLUE can change the TEST activation time.
If the telephone is in use, will the alarm system communicate with the Control Room?
Yes. Each alarm system is equipped with a digital communicator that is designed to seize the phone line when it needs to communicate with the Control Room. This means that even if someone is talking on the telephone, or if an intruder took the telephone off the hook, it would not matter.
What if my telephone line has been cut?
If your telephone line has been cut by an intruder, or if a storm or natural disaster disabled communications, your security system is still internally operational. The alarm will sound when sensors are triggered, however, emergency signals will not be transmitted to the Control Room, so the armed reaction team, police and fire authorities will not be notified by the controller. To ensure the integrity of your system we recommend that radio backup can be added to provide an alternate path to the Control Room. If you do not have radio back-up Call BLUE to learn more about this service.
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